1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to electrical cable assemblies and is concerned more particularly with an electrical connector having dielectric component parts provided with latching means for forming a unitary terminal-supporting member prior to assembly in the connector.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
An electrical cable assembly may include a multi-conductor cable having an end portion terminating in a multi-contact connector comprising a rigid frame of electrically conductive material encircling a dielectric insert for supporting terminal contact members in predetermined spaced relationship with one another. The dielectric insert generally is comprised of a box-like body having a bottom wall provided with a plurality of contact-receiving holes and having an opposing opening closed by a cover provided with a similar plurality of through-holes. The body and the cover may be provided with conventional keying means for ensuring that the cover is properly oriented relative to the body and each of the through-holes in the cover is aligned with a respective contact-receiving hole in the bottom wall of the body. The frame generally is comprised of a metallic backshell wherein the dielectric insert is assembled such that the bottom wall of the insert body protrudes from the rear of the backshell, and a metallic frontshell which is mounted over the insert cover and fastened securely to the backshell. Thus, the frontshell being fastened to the backshell serves to hold the insert cover in operative relationship with the insert body and retain the dielectric insert, as a unit, within the frame of the connector.
The electrical cable is terminated in the connector by end portions of the conductors in the cable being stripped and secured by conventional means to respective terminal contact members. Then, these contact members are inserted into respective contact-receiving holes in the bottom wall of the insert body protruding from the rear of the backshell. Therefore, until all of the terminal contact members are installed, it is necessary that the bottom wall of the insert body be maintained accessible from the rear of the backshell. Consequently, if the cable assembly is to be of the shield type, an additional shielding member is required to be mounted over the rear of the backshell after all of the contact members have been installed in the dielectric insert. However, this additional operation and additional shielding member may increase the cost of fabricating the electrical cable assembly significantly.